Tue 08 March 2022:
According to the presidency, the US biotechnology company Moderna Inc plans to invest more than $500 million in a planned vaccine and drug manufacturing facility in Kenya.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta was in Nairobi on Monday to witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding between his country and Moderna.
The new facility will aid in resolving the issue of vaccine disparity that has plagued Africa, which has yet to receive its fair share of COVID-19 vaccinations.
1/4 President Uhuru Kenyatta today in State House, Nairobi witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Kenya and Moderna to establish the first mRNA manufacturing facility in Africa. pic.twitter.com/JjBuHovZ1u
— State House Kenya (@StateHouseKenya) March 7, 2022
“We are celebrating one of the greatest things that have possibly happened since the onset of COVID-19 on the African continent,” Kenyatta said, pointing out that African countries faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He noted that the challenges were not because of a lack of finances to purchase the vaccines but because the vaccines were not available for them to purchase.
The state-of-the-art mRNA facility, which will focus on drug substance manufacturing, is expected to produce up to 500 million doses of vaccines each year.
“It will be transformative not just in helping us with the current pandemic but also preparing the continent of Africa for future pandemics,” Kenyatta added.
Moderna’s Chief Executive Officer Stephane Bancel said his company is committed to partnering to provide a health solution, saying the investment the company is making in Kenya is crucial, as it is part of the solution to ensuring global health equity.
Dr. John Nkengasong, the director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said the setting up of the facility is critical to Africa’s security, noting the production of the vaccines will ensure that the continent is able to tackle current and future health challenges.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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